Improvement in harvesters



-' brace-bars c'.

- UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE,-

' i c. WHEELER, JE., or EoPLAE Einen, NEW YoEK.

i IMPROVEMENT 1N: HARv'EsTEi-is.

sptt-.inmifm arming pm of Leiters Patentino. 38,708, dated May 26is63.

.T0 all whom, it may eonce'rt':

De it known that I, (i. WirEELI-IR, Jr., of Poplar Ridge, in the county of (.layuga and State of New York, have invented ce1-tai n new and useful Improvements in Cutting Devices for Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following'is a-full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation thereof, reference-being had to the annexed draw.- ings, making apart of this-specification, in which- Figure 1 is a planer top view of the cutting apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the guard-finger, ledger-plate, and cutter or knife, and a transverse section of thc knife-rod and finger-bar a.' a', showing theplane ofthe section. Fig.` 3 is a transverse vertical section of the guard-finger -and the shank of the ledger-plate ze, showing the pla-neef the section'. ,I

Simi-lar letters indicate correspondingparts wherever they occur in the several iigures.

The nature of my invention consists in the manner of constructing and applying V ledgerplates to guard-'fingers and'securing the same rmly in position when in use, at'the same time admitting of their easy removal, when desirable, for the purpose of repairor sharpening; also, lso combining the cutter, ledger-plate, and guard as to give the cutter a bearing-point on the guard back ofthe kniferod, and keeping the edgesA of the cutter and ledger-plate together when `in operation.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and usemy invention, 'l will proceed to de- -scri be its construction and operation.

A is the guard-finger, constructed -with a groove orrecess, B, in the body of it,opening upward, which extends from the point of connection of the cap ay with the main body of the guard backward under the finger-bar C.

b is an elevation of the guard on the upper surface of its shank c, brace-bars formed with the body of the guard-finger, the upper surface of -which corresponds in height to the elevations b.

D is a led Oerplate made wi der than the body of the guard-finger below it, of sufficient thickness at its edges to give necessary strength, and when inserted `to bring its upper surface of the same height as the upper surface of the It is ehamfered at its edges, so as to make an acute angle -with its upper surface. Its front end has a notch' or gain, d, the sides of .which embrace the lugewhen it is inserted in-its place. Thev back end .of .the plate D has a shank, f, of lesswidth than the plate at its pointv of connection with it,

forming angles or shoulders g.. That part of.

the Shankf of ledger-plate D whiclris back of brace-bars c is made lower than the body of the plate, so as to.form,when in position,a recess for the knife-.rod ls.- This shank fis of Vsuiiicient length to pass under the front edge of the finger-bar C. On cach side of the lug c is a ledge, h, which bears upon the-front end of the ledger-plate D when it is inserted in its position. ter, of -scallopedform,-bevel'ed on. its upper side, so as to leave a flush edge-on its lower side. Itis fastened on the top of the knife'- 'rod F, so as to project 'behind it, `as* seen at i, Fig. 2. A

H is a clip orprcssure plate of arched form, its back end being fastened toA the finger-bar (l, and its front end bearing lon the upper surface of cutter E, directly overthe front edge of the knife-rod E `The ledger-plate D'is.

placedin the guard-ngerA by inserting its front end under the ledge h, and then pressing itsshank f down into the recess B ofthe iinger, the'notch or gain d, locking with the leg e, preventing its front endfrom lateral movement, while the ledge h prevents any ver` tical movement. Theback end of the plate D is prevented from any lateral or back movement by shoulder or angle g,locking with brace;

-bars @,while it lis vsecured against vertical movement by the pressure of the lower edge of the finger-bar C upon the rear end of the shank f, the pressure being produced andthe guard-finger A-being connected to and kept in its position 011 the finger-bar C bythe bolt G passing vcrti cally through and uniting both firmly together'.

The cutter or knife E, when inserted in the guard, has its ybearing-points on ledger-plate D and brace-bars c in front of the knife-rod F, and back of the rod it rests on the elevations b, the elevations b, brace-bars c, and ledgerl plate D having at their upper surfaces a common horizontal plane. The cutter-E, while' free to vibrate transversely across the plate D, is kept from movi-ng longitudinally by the back part of the ledger-plate D'and elevations b, forming guides for the edges of the knife- E is the knife-section or cutrod F. The knife-rodrF has no bearing on the guard-finger A or shank f of the ledgerplate D, but is held above them by the-cutter or knife E, thus leaving an opening between it and-them. The cutter E is kept down to the surface of the ledger-plate D by the clip or pressure plate H, thereby insuring' the more perfect contact ofthe shearing-edges of the cutter E and ledger-plateD when iu operation.

rEhe shank f ofitlle ledger-plate D may be constructed in one piece with the plate; or it may be made separate and fastened to the plate by rivets or screws, the essential point being that it shall be so formed and so united with the plate D that a recess shall .be left transversely Vacross the guard-finger for the knife-rod F to traverse in, while itsrear end shall extend .far enough` back to lock under the front 'edge of the iinger-bar when. the guard-finger is united to it, so that the bolt which fastens the finger to the bar shall also serve to hold the ledger-plate rmly .in position; or, when desired, the removal of the bolt' will permit the removal oi' the plate for' sharp'- ening or repairs.

What I claim s my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a' scalloped cutter having the knife-bar on its under side, the ledger-plate secured at its 'front end against lateral and vertical movement by locking with` the guard-finger, While its back end is secured by the shank f, looking under the finger-bar, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the ledger-plate se# curedl by the shank f, looking under the fingerbar, the elevations b of the guardnger, as a bearing for the back part of the cutter, substantially as described.

C. WHEELER,v JR.

Witnesses:

DANL. ROWLAN'D, J S.v ROWLAND. 

